


Under Two Moons - Part I

by hilandmum



Series: The Crystal Series [1]
Category: None - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fantasy Big Bang Challenge, Sequel to The Crimson Orb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-11
Updated: 2011-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 12:04:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilandmum/pseuds/hilandmum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Narissa Day, and the Duke's Wizard Madoc set out on a journey from the village of Holmdale to find the source of two books in a strange language, one containing diagrams of even stranger machines and the other showing star charts that look nothing like the patterns they've ever seen. They're accompanied by Nissa's brothers Blane and Donal, her younger sister, Madoc's sister Carys, and the Duke's older son. They cross the sea to the north, encountering pirates, witness the eruption of a volcano, and pass through a village inhabited by a distrustful religious group. Business as usual for Nissa, Blane and Carys. After all, they had similar adventures in the first book of this series, rescuing Madoc from the miscreants who'd abducted him in the hopes he could point them to The Crimson Orb, rumored to be in Meecham. But this time, what they learn in a large building west of the town of Grenska changes their view of their world and the Evening Moon and Second Moon that light the night sky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Two Moons - Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first part of the second book of the Crystal Series. For the first book in the series, go here:
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/234073

UNDER TWO MOONS

Chapter 1.

“Nissa, hurry up!” my younger sister Morna urged.

“What's your rush?” I asked, not budging from my position, stretched out on my bed in the room we shared. “The wedding isn't for two more hours.”

“But we're part of the wedding party. Glynis might need our help getting ready,” Morna insisted.

Glynis had been my closest friend while we were growing up at Holm Manor, and today she was marrying Duke Alec's second son Adair. The nice son, the only one of his children any of us liked. I was happy for Glynis. She and Adair made a wonderful couple. They both had blond hair and blue eyes. Adair was as tall as I am, which might be tall for an eighteen-year-old woman, but just above average for a man, and Glynis was a bit shorter than us with a willowy figure.

I knew my sister wouldn't give up until I donned the dress I was wearing for the wedding. I just wasn't ready to put it on yet.

The dress was quite beautiful. It was a deep rosy pink with rosettes of a lighter pink that I'd worked for weeks to embroider across the bodice. Morna was already dressed in a similar gown in the same color. It should have looked awful on a red-head like Morna, but somehow it didn't. She looked so grownup! I forget sometimes that she's almost seventeen.

We rarely had occasion to dress up at the Manor and everyone had been looking forward to this day. Cook had been preparing food for the last ten days for the wedding feast, and everyone else had been busy with the other preparations. Of course, Adair's older brother Kerr wasn't thrilled that Adair would marry first, and their sister, Larena, was quite anxious to get married herself even though she was only Morna's age.

I hoped, though, that the next wedding at the manor would be that between my brother Blane and my new friend Carys. Princess Carys to be exact, the youngest child of the King and Queen of the East Islands and their only daughter .

I'd only recently met her, although her brother, Madoc, had been Duke Alec's wizard for the past ten years. He tried to teach the boys at the Manor to use the energies all around us. My brothers, Blane and Donal, had learned a lot from him, and so had I. Madoc was my mentor and friend and lately a great deal more. It was after he had disappeared on a trip to the East Islands to tend to his father who'd been ill that Blane and I had set out to find him, and met Carys and their brother Gareth on the way.

The four of us and two members of Gareth's guards had found Madoc in Meecham, rescued him, in fact, from people who'd wanted to use his abilities to find the Crimson Orb, believed to have all sorts of powers.

We'd come back to the Manor, and were able to convince Gareth to allow Carys to remain, at least until after the wedding today. He and Rees, the member of the royal guards who'd survived the ordeal, had returned to the Citadel, the palace on the main East Island.

Did I mention that I wanted Carys to marry Blane? The two of them had grown close during our journey together, and since we'd been back in Holmdale, they'd become even closer. I knew they were both concerned that her parents wouldn't allow her to marry someone who wasn't royalty. Blane was just the older son of Duke Alec's swordmaster, but Madoc had assured them that no one would stand in their way if they wanted to marry.

I sighed and reluctantly stood. “All right. Help me put this on,” I told Morna.

The dress fit me perfectly. It should. Jannet, the seamstress, who taught all the girls at the Manor to sew, had tailored all the dresses to fit the girls who were attending Glynis. I just felt uncomfortable in dresses.

I wore my brooch with the blue stone underneath my dress, just as I'd worn it every day since Madoc gave it to me. He'd bought it on our travels home from Meecham, just as Blane bought one with a red stone for Carys.

I wore my long brown hair loose, even though I knew it would tangle, as it always did when I didn't tie it up. But all of the women in the bridal party were wearing their hair down for the wedding so I had to, too.

“How do I look?” I asked when I'd finished buttoning the innumerable buttons on my dress.

Morna grinned at me. “Beautiful! Wait until Madoc sees you!”

“Morna!” She hadn't stopped teasing me about my feelings for Madoc since we'd returned to the Manor and she found out that I loved him. Did I mention that, besides being the most knowledgeable and intelligent person I knew, he was tall, dark and handsome?

My sister giggled. “Put on your shoes and let's go. I want to see how Glynis looks in her gown.”

I slipped my feet into the unfamiliar shoes. They seemed flimsy and a little bit difficult to walk in, especially compared to the shoes I usually wore.

We walked through the drafty hallways of the Manor toward the rooms Glynis shared with her parents and younger brother. We found her room crowded with well-wishers as well as the other women in the wedding party, Carys and Larena.

I'd seen Glynis' gown at various stages while Jannet worked on it, and had admired the sheer beauty of the white satin, the pale blue lining of the train (blue is thought to bring prosperity and happiness), and the jewels and embroidery that encrusted the bodice, but this was the first time I'd seen it on Glynis. With her long golden hair and big blue eyes, she's always been very pretty. Still, I wasn't prepared for how utterly beautiful she'd look in her wedding gown.

Glynis' mother rushed in behind us. Adith was a short, plump woman, always cheerful, and always smiling. Today, she was beaming, yet there were tears in her eyes. Tears of joy, I was sure. “The flowers are all in place,” she said, handing her daughter a bouquet of white roses from the Manor's gardens. Adith was in charge of those gardens, and had a magic touch no matter what the weather was. Now, at the start of summer, the gardens were full of color and sweet scent, and I was sure she'd brought some of that indoors to the banquet room where the wedding festivities would take place.

Adith also had bouquets for the rest of us and would be handing out single blossoms to everyone who attended the wedding.

Now she inspected her daughter, made minor adjustments to her hair and the drape of the train, then looked at the attendants. “You all look so lovely,” she declared. “This is going to be the most beautiful wedding ever!”

We all smiled at her. We were all so different, Carys with her family's dark hair and eyes, Morna with her glorious red mane, blond Larena, and me, taller than them all with unremarkable brown hair and eyes. And yet, she was right, we made a pretty picture together.

Well-wishers came and went, and all echoed what Adith had said. It wasn't long before the Duchess poked her head in and said, “It's time.” We followed her out to the hall and along the corridor leading to the chapel. In the distant past the room had been used for religious ceremonies, but now, with few still believing in a supreme being, it was rarely used at all.

This wedding would be performed by Duke Alec and Madoc, as was the custom, the Duke, because it was his Manor, and Madoc, as his young wizard. The two of them stood together at the front of the room, deep in conversation. I stood near the doorway with my sister, Carys and Larena, watching as many of the Manor's residents filed in and took seats.

There were many visitors to the Manor for the wedding, besides the usual residents. They included the King and Queen of our land, Arrandis, and Lord and Lady Graham from the southern end of the country.

The Duke and Madoc seemed to finish what they were talking about and looked out over the assembled crowd. I knew immediately when Madoc caught sight of me. His reaction was even more than I could have hoped. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. I'm sure if I were closer I would have heard him gasp. Even so, I blushed, and I was very pleased. I felt his mind touch mine, like a fleeting kiss, and I sent a similar thought his way.

Flowers decorated the entire chapel, with the largest bouquets in pots on the dais at the front of the room. It looked very festive. Adith had done a remarkable job.

The bridegroom came down the hall toward us with Blane, Donal, and Kerr. All of them were wearing blue suits with ruffled white shirts underneath. They all looked quite handsome, but not as handsome as Madoc did in his more formal black clothes. Glynis' little brother came running to catch up to the other male attendants.

The eight of us marched toward the front of the room to form a semicircle, leaving just enough space in the center for the bride and groom. Then, Glynis and Adair came towards us together, hands entwined. They looked so wonderful together.

They faced the Duke, who read to them the formal marriage contract that would bind them together for the rest of their lives. “Do you accept this contract?” he asked, and together they said a loud and definite yes, making many of those in attendance laugh.

Then Madoc stood before them to bless their union and wish them health and happiness in their future together.

Finally, Adair and Glynis each made a short speech about how much they loved each other and how they'd care for each other from that day forward. Their speeches were met with applause.

When the applause had ended, the Duke handed them a written copy of the contract he'd read. They smiled at each other and kissed. It was a kiss full of love and made everyone else smile too.

After the ceremony, everyone left the chapel for the banquet room. It was filled with long tables completely covered with the dishes and bowls and platters of food Cook had prepared.

Blane removed his suit jacket before he left to join the other musicians who would be playing for us during and after the dinner. I was sure someone would bring them some food eventually, but I loaded a plate with my brother's favorites, filled a goblet with some wine, and went searching for him.

He thanked me for the food, since no one had brought the musicians anything yet, but just as I left the room where they were preparing their instruments, Cook came in with platters for them all. She smiled at me as I left to join my family and friends back in the banquet hall.

Everyone had already begun to eat. I sat down on a bench between Morna and Donal, across from Madoc. There was so much food that I had a hard time choosing for myself what I might enjoy, both baked and fried chicken, a roast with potatoes and other vegetables, even some fish, brought all the way from the coast. There were puddings, both sweet and savory, and salads of fresh vegetables and fruits.

I started by taking food from the platter closest to me, but other dishes were being passed around and before I knew it, my own plate was piled higher than the one I'd brought Blane. Madoc grinned at me and commented, “Where do you think you're going to put all that food?”

But he should know by now that I had a good appetite, and was fortunate in that I didn't gain weight easily.

We were all finishing the food on our plates when Cook appeared again with two of the young girls she'd hired to help with the banquet, girls from the village of Holmdale that surrounded the Manor. They carried pies and cakes, tarts and the cookies that Carys and I had introduced to Cook. They were the cookies we'd grown to love when we were in Meecham, well to the south of our land of Arrandis. Two round cookies sandwiching fruit jam and the whole thing frosted over. With our help, Cook had devised a recipe to prepare these on a large scale and they'd become favorites at the Manor as well.

Some of the women patted their midsections and proclaimed that they were too full to eat any dessert, but not I. A piece of pie and one of the Meecham cookies were the perfect finish for my meal. I refused the wine and ale that many were drinking with their food, still preferring tea. It was a perfect meal for a perfect occasion.

 

Chapter 2.

As I ate the last crumb of my dessert, I heard the tempo of the music change. It was time for everyone to dance, beginning with the bride and groom. We all watched as Adair led Glynis to a clear space near the musicians. It was obvious they'd been practicing, for they seemed to dance as one, holding each other close and keeping step with the music.

The tune changed and other couples rose to join them. I wasn't surprised when Kerr approached Carys to ask her to dance with him. He was so arrogant, he thought that every young woman was in love with him. She glanced at Blane, who was occupied with playing his gemshorn, shrugged, and took the hand Kerr offered. Blane frowned when he saw them join the other dancers, but he went on playing.

I'd been so busy watching them that I hadn't seen Madoc rise and circle the table to where I sat. He held out a hand to me and I smiled, took it, and stood. I'd been hoping to have a chance to dance with him and, it seemed, he'd been looking forward to it too.

Since we'd been back at Holm Manor, Madoc and I hadn't spent much time alone together. Most of the residents of the Manor hadn't noticed the change in our relationship from teacher and student to...well, whatever it was. They were all caught up in the plans for this wedding. They were also distracted by the presence of Princess Carys. Only my family was aware that Madoc and I had grown very close.

I'd always been attracted to him, but it was only in the past months that I had realized that I'd fallen in love with him. It seemed that he cared for me, too, in the same way. Now, dancing in his arms, our bodies touching, I felt warm all over and very happy.

“Let's go outside for a bit of fresh air,” he whispered in my ear when the music ended, and the musicians began a more rousing tune. Hand-in-hand, we left the banquet hall and went out into the rose garden. It was a beautiful summer night. The air was warm with a light breeze and the owls in the nearby trees sang a different kind of song than the one the musicians were playing. The scent of the roses was strong, but not overpowering.

Madoc and I sat down on a bench and immediately one of the many black cats that lived at the Manor came over and jumped on my lap. I laughed and rubbed it between it's white-tipped ears. Those ears gave it away. This was Velvet, one of the sweeter cats.

We sat silently for a little while, looking up at the clear night sky. The Evening Moon had already set and I could see the Second Moon starting it's voyage across the sky. “I've been wondering about the star charts in that book you have,” I finally said. “Some of the stars are familiar, but they're not in the part of the sky they seem to be here. Do the stars appear differently from other places?”

“It would seem so,” Madoc replied. The book in question was one of two he'd gotten from a traveler a year or so before. The writing in it was strange, and he hadn't yet been able to decipher it. He looked away from me and continued. “Nissa, I've decided to leave in a few days. I'll go north to find the source of the books and what they mean.”

“You're not going without me!” I suddenly decided. “I want to find out where they come from as much as you do.”

“Nissa, you know the way could be dangerous. We'll have to cross the sea to the north, to Solwintor, and then I don't know how far we'd have to go.”

“But the man you obtained the books from came from somewhere in the north,” I reasoned. “How far away could it have been?”

Madoc shook his head. “Quite far indeed from the ports just across the sea. He said he'd gotten them from somewhere further north. Who knows what we'll find in such travel.”

I smiled at him. “It won't be the first time I've encountered peril,” I said.

“My brave Nissa!” he said with a chuckle.

“Well, it's true!” I said. “I think I've shown how resourceful I can be.”

His arm went around my shoulders and he pulled me close. I didn't think I had to tell him the real reason I wanted to go. I couldn't bear the idea of being away from him for any length of time. I leaned my cheek against his shoulder, content to remain like that. But I began thinking of the plans we'd have to make for this journey, my practical side taking over.

“I suppose we'll have to tell my parents what we're planning,” I said, biting my lower lip.

“That would be prudent,” he agreed. “They weren't any too happy when you went off with Blane without a word to them.” He thought for a moment, then said, “I just wonder if we'll be able to prevent anyone else from volunteering to come with us.”

He was right. Blane and Carys would probably be the first to offer to come. But it would be best if the two of us went alone. Maybe faster, too.

“There's no need to tell anyone else tonight,” I said. “If we wait long enough, maybe we can manage it.”

The strains of the music in the banquet hall were faint, but we could still hear them. Sitting in the moon- and star-light with Madoc's arm around me was very romantic. I hoped that on our journey we'd have some moments like this, but I was realistic enough to know that the journey would be at best difficult, and at worst, quite hazardous.

We remained sitting on the bench in the rose garden until we no longer heard the music.”The wedding celebration must be ending,” I said. “We should go back.”

“Do you think anyone missed us?” Madoc asked.

I shrugged. “But we should wish the bride and groom all the best.”

Glynis and Adair were going to Arris, the capital of our country of Arrandis, for the next few days before they settled down in the rooms Duke Alec had set aside for them in the Manor. They would not leave until the morning, but I expected we wouldn't see them again before they left.

We stood and Madoc kissed me lightly before we walked hand-in-hand back to the banquet hall. The wedding guests were walking past the seated bride and groom, bestowing their good wishes. We joined the long line of the procession. When it was finally our turn, I reached down and hugged Glynis, whispering in her ear, “Be happy!”

She smiled back at me and suddenly noticed Madoc's hand on my shoulder. “Nissa?”

I had to chuckle. She'd been so busy with the preparations for her wedding, that we hadn't really talked about anything else, and so I'd never told her about how close Madoc and I had become.

“I think we'll have to talk when Adair and I return,” she said, her eyes smiling at me.

Chances were that I wouldn't be at the Manor then, but I just said. “There's time.”

We moved on so that others could talk to the bride and groom. Wondering whether that would be me and Madoc some day, I looked up at him and tried to touch his mind. My ability to do that had been improving with each day. He smiled at me and touched mine, as well. The sense I got was that he was wondering the same thing, too.

Out loud he echoed what I'd said to Glynis, “We've got time.”

The celebration was ending. Cook and her staff were clearing the tables, the musicians had put away their instruments and were mingling with the other guests, and those with younger children were taking them off to bed.

“I'll see you in the morning,” I told Madoc. “We can begin our preparations tomorrow.”

He nodded just as Morna came over and put her arm through mine.

“Good-night Madoc,” she told him. “I think I'll just take my sister away for now.”

He grinned at her. She was such a tease.

“Good-night, ladies.” He bowed slightly to us and walked off.

–

In the morning, Morna and I went to breakfast together. Not many people were awake, it seemed. The party had gone on late, so it wasn't surprising. Among those who were there were Carys, Blane and my parents. Morna and I each filled a plate with food from the tables set along one side of the room, and sat down with them just as Madoc arrived.

“I didn't think I could eat anything ever again after last night,” Carys said, digging into her eggs and porridge.

“I can always eat,” Morna said. Her plate was piled higher than mine.

None of us said much else as we ate. After breakfast, Carys, Morna and I went off to the sewing room for our lesson, even though I really wanted to head directly to Madoc's rooms to talk to him about what we would need to take on our journey.

We'd spent the last few weeks working on our wedding clothes, but that day, we needed a new project.

“Jannet, remember the idea I had when I returned from Meecham? About converting a skirt into wide-legged pants?” I asked the seamstress. “Why don't we try that now?” I really wanted to have a pair for the journey north. I wasn't sure I could finish before we left, but if I started now, they'd be almost done.

Long skirts had been fine for most of our journey in the spring, but I'd been happy to have a pair of Donal's britches with me when we crossed the Frozen Tundra. They were also more comfortable to ride in than my skirts.

Jannet looked at me with the same astonishment I'd seen recently in her eyes as she watched my suddenly improved sewing skills.

“Oh, what a good idea!” Carys chimed in and I smiled, knowing Jannet would never refuse a princess.

“All right, girls!” Jannet said, trilling her 'r's. “Each of you will bring back a skirt that we may use for this...experiment.” She glared at me, and I could see the skepticism in her eyes.

Morna and I returned to our room. “Take a very sturdy skirt,” I told my sister. “We might as well make useful pants, not something flimsy.”

She nodded in understanding and selected a skirt in a natural homespun fabric, not too heavy but stiff, and very practical. “How's this?”

“Perfect!” I said. I found a similar skirt among my own clothing and we returned to the sewing room.

Some of the girls, like Larena, had brought thin and pretty skirts. It would probably be easier to sew those fabrics, but the result wouldn't be as useful. Still, that didn't matter. None of them were going on an adventure.

 

Chapter 3.

Jannet inspected the skirts we'd brought. It surprised me when she told Larena, “That's not going to work.” I'd never heard her disagree with anything Larena said or did before.

Of course, Larena's skirt was not just thin, but very flimsy and also rather short. It was obviously a summer skirt. Not that summer-weight pants were a bad idea. I began to wonder what the weather would be like in Solwintor.

“You'll have to pick something else,” Jannet said. “Maybe the blue skirt you wore t'other day.”

“Ewww!” Larena made a face. “That ugly thing? I asked Mother to give it to one of Cook's girls.”

“Well, if you have another like it...”

Larena knew when she had to give in. She grumbled a while longer, then left to find another skirt while Jannet continued to examine what the rest of us brought.

“That one's rather heavy, Narissa,” she told me. “Are you sure you'll be wanting to sew on it?”

“Oh, aye. It will make good trousers for riding,” I said. I didn't have to tell her how far I intended to ride.

“Well, if you think so...” She approved the others' selections and took out her cutters. She slit each skirt about two-thirds of the way up the front and the back. I could see she had a good grasp of what I'd proposed.

Larena finally returned with another skirt, this time a longer one. It was still rather thin, but not as flimsy as her first pick. Once Jannet made her cuts in Larena's skirt, the next step was for each of us to select the right thread and needle to use.

Before long, we were all hard at work on the seams. We became so absorbed in what we were doing that it startled us when Jannet called out, “Girls, it's time to put your work away for the day. We'll continue with these tomorrow morning.”

Once we had cleared our spaces, we headed off to the kitchens.

“Nissa, what are you planning?” Carys asked me quietly as we walked together.

“Nothing,” I insisted, but instead of continuing on with the others, I slipped away. Madoc's rooms were at the end of a long corridor. The door to his study was open and I could see him sitting at the table, examining one of the books from the north. I knew he had studied both books many times before. The one he was looking at consisted of star charts and was written in a language none of us had ever seen before. He'd tried to decipher it, but without any success.

The other book was written in the same language, and had pictures of what he called 'machines' and 'devices'. Even though he couldn't read the writing, I knew he'd been able to follow the diagrams well enough to construct some of them for his father. One allowed someone to talk to someone else far away. Gareth used it to keep in touch with his men from the Citadel. We'd also seen another 'machine' that had been installed on the royal ship that carried us from Fairhaven in the East Islands, back west to East Harbor on our continent. The ship was powered by this 'machine' rather than sails, and allowed us to cross the sea much faster.

“I've tried to interest Duke Alec in some of the machines,” Madoc told me. “But he's not interested. He can't see how they can work.”

I wasn't surprised by that. “Even something simple?” I asked. I remembered one picture that had fascinated me. I opened the book with the diagrams and paged through until I found it. “What about something like this?”

Madoc chuckled and said, “I don't think it's as simple as you think.”

It was round and it glowed with light, but I didn't see any source for that light.

“For one thing, it requires some other machines to power it. No, this really isn't something I'd propose to start.” He took the book, and flipped through it further until he came to another diagram. “Now this one...”

I wasn't really sure what it was. “What does it do?”

He laughed again. “It's a printing plate. It may be what was used to print this book, and the other.” He went on to show me how it worked. It was rather interesting and even impressive. I'd wondered how the book was created. I didn't think that someone had painstakingly written it all out. “They can use the plate to create many copies of the same book,” he added, and closed the book. “But you didn't come here to talk about the books, did you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not exactly. Madoc do you know anything about the land to the north? I've never been any further than Dunswell.”

“Twice that distance will take us to the northern shore of Arrandis. There's a small port town there, nothing as large as East Haven, but we should be able to find passage across the sea to the land of Solwintor. The port town is Nordholm and I believe the people there speak both Learic and the language of Solwintor.”

Learic is what we call our language, and the continent is Leara. I've met people who speak other languages, but many speak Learic as well. “Do you know any of their language?” I asked Madoc.

“Oh, yes. It's actually quite similar to ours. You'll catch on quickly enough,” he assured me.

“And the weather, what should we expect?” I was still thinking about what clothes to take.

He smiled. “Such good questions. I'm glad you're not making your plans without getting some idea of what we'll face on our journey.”

“I guess I learned a little from the last time. To bring the right kinds of clothes and shoes, and enough food and money. I know Gallin is up to the trip.” That's my horse, and he did very well before. “I'm already making a riding outfit.” I told him about the project I'd proposed to Jannet.

“And no one suspected that you have something more in mind than making a pair of wide pants from a skirt?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“Well, your sister did ask whether I was planning something,” I admitted.

“I'm afraid that as we continue with our plans, several people will begin to question us both,” he said.

“But what can we do?” I asked.

“I guess we'll just have to contend with any comments as they occur,” he replied. “Don't worry about the money, by the way. I have enough for anything we encounter.”

“Good. I've started to collect some food that I know will travel well,” I said.

“And we can purchase any supplies we don't have when we're in Dunswell.”

“I'm afraid my mother might be insistent that we stop and visit with her relatives there,” I said. “Well, no matter. They're nice enough, my grandmother and aunt.”

“I'm afraid your mother and father might have other things to say about the two of us going off like that together,” he said.

I hadn't really thought about it before, but of course, he was right. I might be eighteen but I was still young enough that my parents might frown at my going anywhere with a young man, especially since they knew how we felt about each other. But certainly they trusted Madoc to take care of me and treat me with the utmost respect. I shook my head. I really didn't want to ponder that now.

“I'd best make my way to the kitchens,” I said, much as I didn't want to leave. “Cook and the other girls must be wondering where I went off to.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, but he was smiling in a way that told me he realized that I wasn't ready to talk about what he'd brought up.

In any event, I raced through the halls to the kitchens where I found Carys, Morna and the others watching as Cook showed them how to cut up the meats left over from the wedding celebration. I suppose she was going to put the results into one of her stews, which were always different, and always tasty.

“There you are,” Cook said when she caught sight of me. “Princess Carys was just telling us about the stew you two made when you had little meat, no potatoes and only a handful of other roots.”

Carys and I had done a lot of improvising on our journey. We used what we had, and often found some local plant or vegetable or even berry to add to the flavor of the food we made.

“But we never made anything as good as you do,” I told her. I looked around the kitchen, idly wondering if there were any Meecham cookies left from the wedding. It would be nice if I could take some with us. But I couldn't bring that up, of course.

We finished our lesson with Cook and I left with Morna and Carys. There was no where we had to be for a while, so we went out into the bright sunshine. Most of the people who'd come to the Manor for the wedding had left early in the morning, but we saw Lord and Lady Graham getting into their carriage. It would take them more than a day to return to their Keep.

“Have a safe journey,” Carys called to them.

Lady Mara smiled at her. “Thank you Princess.”

“It was a pleasure to see you again,” Lord Graham said, emphasizing the word 'see', which made us smile. When we'd met them last, he was blind and Madoc had been able to cure him with my help.

We watched them ride off, then continued on to a favorite spot of ours, a hill not far from the Manor. We sat down on the grass, pulling our knees up, and looked north over the Manor lands.

“So, what are you and Madoc planning?” Carys asked.

I gulped and blinked. “How...what...”

She and Morna laughed. “You think you're so clever! I was there when the idea of converting a skirt into wide-legged pants first came up,” Carys reminded me.

“Where are you going?” Morna asked. “Can we come too?”

“Morna, first of all, if, and I mean if we go anywhere, there is no way you're coming along,” I said. I really wasn't prepared to deal with this yet. I thought it would come up after I'd told my parents, but I didn't know how to answer Carys' or Morna's questions.

“It has something to do with the books!” Carys guessed.

“How...how did you...”

“Every time I've seen my brother alone this week, he's been buried in those books. I know how much he wants to find out where they came from and to find the people who wrote them and drew the diagrams,” Carys replied.

I looked at the two of them. They were both smart, so smart that I should have known I couldn't fool either of them.

“We're leaving in two days, going north and across the sea,” I said. “It might be dangerous, and will definitely be a difficult journey.”

“Have you said anything to Mother and Father?” Morna asked, her eyes wide.

“I thought I'd do that closer to when we leave, so they won't have much time to object,” I replied. “I guess now that the two of you know, it'll have to be sooner than later.”

“I won't say anything,” Morna said. “That is, if I can go, too.”

“Morna! You don't know what it'll be like.” I turned to my friend. “Carys tell her about some of the dangers we faced.”

“Nissa's right,” Carys said, nodding. “We've never told you some of the worst things we encountered. We glossed over how it felt on the Frozen Tundra. There was no way to keep warm. And we all might have died in the swamp instead of just Colm and my horse.”

I hoped she wouldn't go on about the swamp, because we also hadn't told anyone about the Crimson Orb, that the swamp inhabitants had it and used it both to mend broken bones and to speed a person's spirit on. But I knew Carys had vowed with the rest of us to keep that information a secret.

“All you ever said was that one of Gareth's men perished along the way,” Morna said, wide-eyed.

“That journey was dangerous, and we have no reason to think this one will be any less so,” I said, standing up to walk back to the Manor. “I guess I'd better go tell our parents now and get it over with. Who knows what objections they'll have.”

 

Chapter 4.

My sister and Carys let me approach my parents myself, either because they didn't want to get in the middle of what might be a confrontation or because they didn't want them to know how much they knew about my plans.

My mother was alone, brewing some of her medicines and salves from the herbs and other plants she collected once a week, lavender and chamomile, parsley and tansy and mullein, and so many others.

“Hello, Nissa. What brings you to my workshop this early in the day?” she asked.

I swallowed hard and then began what I'd rehearsed in my mind. “Do you know those books that Madoc has?”

“The ones he's been pouring over for weeks now?” she asked. “Oh, aye. Interesting devices in the one, and stranger star patterns in the other.”

“Yes, well, he's come to the decision to go north and find the folk who...” What was the word he used? Oh, yes. “...printed them, the ones who made those devices.”

“And you intend to go with him,” she guessed.

“Am I that transparent?” I asked. I couldn't help smiling.

“Oh, Nissa.” She closed her eyes and put her hands on my shoulders. She had to reach up to do that. She opened her blue eyes again and looked into my brown ones. “You know it wouldn't be seemly for a young woman to travel alone with a man.”

“But you trust Madoc with me, don't you? And you can trust me,” I insisted.

She smiled wryly. “Two young people who love each other the way you two do?” She shook her head. “No. You'll need a chaperone.”

“A chaperone? Who?”

“We could send your brother with you,” she began.

“Right! And if Blane goes, we won't be able to keep Carys from coming, too.” I bit my lip before I revealed, “She already wants to come. And then who'll chaperone them?”

“Narissa Day!”

“Oh, and then there's Morna. She can't wait to go off on an adventure of her own, and I'm sure Donal has the need to prove himself as good as Blane, even if he still hasn't fully recovered from his fall.” All right, so one should never shout at one's mother that way. But I was sooo angry!

“Nissa.” This time when she said my name, she seemed to be trying to calm me down rather than chastise me, but I couldn't let go of my indignation. I'd just run out of words.

Somewhere inside, I knew she was right. I'd known before I approached her that there'd be questions about Madoc and me, but that was our problem, wasn't it?

“I'll have to discuss this with your father,” she finally said. “Even though I know he'll agree with me, perhaps he'll have a solution that will...” I knew she couldn't say 'please' so she settled for, “...appease everyone.”

But I could just imagine what that solution might be. Who would they send with us? I was sure it would be someone much worse than Blane and Carys. I couldn't meet my mother's eyes. Still frowning, I withdrew and once I was out of her room, went running as fast as I could to let Madoc know what a mess I'd made of our plans.

I found him with his head down on his worktable. That was rare for him. He's a very vigorous and cheerful young man most of the time. “What's wrong?” I asked, daring to put a hand on the top of his head.

He lifted it and tried to smile at me, then shook his head. “Everything's going badly. I felt obliged to tell the Duke that I'd be away again for a fortnight or more.”

“And?”

“He accused me of going off on some fool's quest. But I guess he realized how those books have been haunting me.”

“So, he knows. Nothing you can do about it,” I said, shrugging.

“He wants to send Kerr with us,” Madoc said.

“Kerr? Oh, no.” Now I was shaking my head. “Maybe we should send everyone else off on this mission and stay here!”

“Everyone else?”

“Your sister and mine guessed what we might be planning and insist on coming, so I felt I had to tell my parents rather than wait until tomorrow,” I said. “Mother thought it was unseemly for just the two of us to go, and she wants Blane to go with us...”

“And if Blane goes, so does Carys,” he said, nodding slowly. Then he suddenly began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. “So much for a journey for two.”

“Madoc, how can you laugh? What are we going to do?” I asked.

“If we can't change it, we're going to take control of the situation,” he said. “I'll talk to your parents at luncheon today, and to your brothers and Kerr during their lesson this afternoon.” They were all still studying with him, learning all they could about harnessing the energies around us. Kerr had even begun to see the importance of that, although he wasn't very good at it, certainly not as good as Blane and Donal, who'd been doing it for a while, or even me. He went on, “You can let Carys and Morna know that we will all meet back here at four chimes. If they are going to come on this expedition, everyone follows our rules.”

That sounded a little better. “Perhaps they'd better be your rules. Carys and Morna will listen to me,” I said. “And maybe even Donal, but I don't know about Blane, and Kerr will just look down his nose at me. Well, maybe not down since I'm almost as tall as he is,” I said with a smile. “Anyway, they all look to you for guidance on so many things that you should be the one to set the guidelines.”

“All right,” he said. He kissed me lightly as we heard the gong that summoned us to luncheon. “Four chimes,” he repeated. “Anyone who's late has to lay the fire the first night out,” he added with a grin.

Feeling much more accepting of the situation, I strolled through the corridors with him to the dining hall.

–

That afternoon, as the bell above the front gate to the Manor grounds peeled the fourth chime, we assembled in Madoc's rooms. It appeared that our expedition would include seven after all. Besides Madoc and me, the party would comprise our sisters and my brothers, and to appease the Duke, his eldest son, Kerr.

“I'll start by warning you, our journey will be long and sometimes quite hard,” Madoc told us. “Blane, Carys and Nissa can testify to the rigors of travels in unknown lands. We cannot predict what perils we'll encounter. Know this, though, it will be rare for us to sleep in a comfortable bed, or eat a meal like the wedding banquet we ate yesterday.”

“Madoc is right,” Blane said. “We'll spend many a night in the open, sleeping on the ground. Much of the time we'll be able to light a fire to cook whatever food we have and to warm us a little when it's cold, but there will be times when that will be impossible.”

“The weather will vary greatly,” Carys said. “I never realized how cold I could be until we crossed the Frozen Tundra of Sorn on our way to Meecham. We had to build a wind break out of ice and snow to shelter us through the night. And that's not to mention the monsters we might encounter.” I knew she was thinking of the ice bear that we were able to ward off with the combined force of our minds.

“And not just animals, but poisonous plants and vines that can entangle and strangle us and our horses,” I added. I wasn't sure how much to tell Donal, Morna and Kerr about our experiences in the swamp.

My brother and sister were hanging on our every word. Kerr, instead, appeared skeptical. I guess he'd have to see for himself.

“The important thing is for us to be as prepared as possible for anything we encounter. That means wearing the proper clothing for the journey, and carrying more. It means taking food that will keep and is easy to prepare. And it means having every weapon at our disposal in the best condition,” Madoc summarized. “Food and water for our steeds are necessary too, don't forget. And blankets to keep out the chill at night. We ALL share any chores during the expedition.” He looked pointedly at Kerr. “That includes laying fires, cooking, and keeping guard at night.”

He opened the two odd books. “Our goal is to find the origin of these texts. Who printed them and how? Why are the stars in this one so different from what we see at night? And how many of these devices have the inventors been able to build? I'm not even sure what some of them do!”

“What's that language?” Kerr asked. It was the first question he'd asked.

“We don't know that either.”

“Some wizard you are!” he scoffed. Of course when people hear that Madoc is a wizard, they immediately imagine that he does parlor tricks, makes things appear and disappear, and the like. But even Kerr knew that, at least in Madoc's case, it meant that he knew so much more than most people, such as how to use the energies in and between all living and non-living things, and that he used his knowledge to improve our lives. To those who didn't know better, though, some of the things he could do might appear as magic.

“Kerr, as much as I know, it's only one tiny part of all the knowledge in the world. But the only way I can gain more knowledge is to go seeking it,” Madoc told him, then he turned to the rest of us. “We leave in two days. You're all excused from your lessons tomorrow and should spend the time gathering whatever you are taking with you and preparing your horses.”

“We started turning skirts into wide pants in our sewing class today,” Carys said.

“Yes, Nissa told me. That's a good start. They'll be very appropriate for our journey. Will you be able to finish them tomorrow?”

“We'll have to,” I said. “I'll talk to Cook about what stores she can spare for us to take. Fresh meats won't keep long, but dried and smoked ones will, and breads, some fruits, most root vegetables.”

“All right,” Madoc said. “Does anyone have any questions?”

We all shook our heads, even Kerr.

 

Chapter 5.

We were all there at dinner that night when Larena loudly proclaimed that she would be going with us.

“I don't think you'll enjoy sleeping on the ground,” her brother taunted, although I wasn't sure how he'd take to it himself.

“Larena, dear, you'd have to ride for hours at a time,” her mother argued. Everyone knew how much Larena hated to be in the saddle.

The Duke clinched it by telling her, “And you'll have to cook your own food and everyone else's, too. You'll travel on a ship where you'll have to share quarters with all of the other girls.”

“And you'll rarely have an opportunity to bathe,” Carys told her.

That did it. Suddenly Larena thought she was getting the better of the deal, remaining at the Manor while the rest of us endured the hardships of travel.

We spent the rest of that day and all of the next preparing for our journey. Carys and I gave Morna advice on what clothing and shoes to take. “Sturdy skirts and simple blouses are best,” I told my sister.

“And a warm cloak,” Carys added.

We each managed to find a pair of boots. They were boy's and a little big but with thick enough foot coverings underneath, they'd be useful. And we worked diligently on sewing our new pants.

Cook was very cooperative. “There be plenty in the Manor's stores,” she said. She found that there were still some dried beans that she used through the winter when there were no vegetables growing, and dried meats that would last much longer than fresh. We couldn't be sure to find edible berries or plants along the way, so she gave us some, and made sure we'd have bread and cheese, some grains, even summer apples and carrots for ourselves and our horses.

Lord Graham had brought the Duke some saplings of the burce trees he, or rather his arborist Godfrey, grew in his extensive fruit orchard, but they wouldn't bear any burce fruits until the end of Summer, more the pity, because I liked them very much. All of the Meecham cookies that Cook had made for the wedding had been eaten, so Cook offered eagerly to make up a new batch for us to take.

We spent time in the morning with our horses. I'd learned from Blane how to reach out my mind to put simple thoughts into Gallin's brain. He occasionally found what I 'sent' amusing. Both Carys and Morna were beginning to learn how to communicate with their steeds, too. Morna had always had a gift with animals of all kinds. We told our horses that we'd be leaving the next morning and that we'd take care of them on the long journey, then gave them the sweetest of the hay in the stables and a bucket of water to drink.

I knew that Gallin was up to the traveling we'd do. Carys' horse had been lost in the swamp between Meecham and the Graham's Keep, but Lord Graham had gifted her a fine mare named Sweet Pea, because she was sweet-tempered. She was also strong. My sister's horse had only been ridden around the Manor, but Bekin was large and strong, too.

When we returned to the Manor, we met Mother, who'd been looking for us. “I have some salves, herbs and bandages that you should take. Hopefully you won't be needing them, but better to be prepared.” She handed us each a bundle of small packages, each bearing her neat script, telling us what was inside and what it was used for. I put some in the pouches on the belt I work around my waist.

Some of the clothes we'd selected the night before needed mending or cleaning, so we spent the next hour or two on that. I hoped the men were doing the same, but it wasn't up to me to tell them. Then again, Donal had a penchant for the practical, and Madoc and Blane knew to expect the unexpected.

“We should take some soap and cloths to wash with,” Carys said, remembering that we'd had to purchase those at the Emporium in Meecham. As she'd told Larena, we'd rarely even had an opportunity to bathe, but when we did, it helped to have our own supplies.

“Will we need our bows and arrows?” Morna asked.

I nodded. “And a small knife will come in handy.” I wanted to take my sword this time, the one my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday. Now that everyone was aware that I could use it, I would take it. I hoped it wouldn't be necessary to use it, though.

“And how many blankets?” Morna was still thinking ahead.

“We each had two and, except for the night on the Frozen Tundra, that was enough,” Carys told her. We never anticipated that it would be hot this time.

Morna's bed was now covered with everything she wanted to take. Smiling I indicated a few things she could leave behind, then showed her how to stow everything in packs that could hang on either side of her saddle, with one on her back.

By the time we went to bed that night, we were ready, but Morna couldn't sleep. She was too excited about leaving in the morning. She continued to chatter away and ask questions she'd not asked when we'd returned from Meecham. I finally was able to tune her out and fall asleep. It wouldn't help if we were both sleepy in the morning.

I guess she fell asleep sometime after I did, because when I woke in the morning it took me a few minutes to wake her. “Morna, get up if you want some breakfast before we leave.”

It was still dark out, and a bit chilly despite the time of year. We dressed in our travel clothes, took our packs, and made our way to the dining room.

Madoc, Donal, Blane and Carys were already there, beginning to eat some breakfast.

“Make sure you eat enough to hold you several hours,” Blane told Morna. “We don't know when or where we'll be able to stop for luncheon.”

Kerr joined us just before we were finished eating. “You're all up early.”

“The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll arrive at our destination,” Madoc told him.

We finished our food and took our plates and mugs to the table where the used ones went, telling Kerr we would meet him at the stables. “We'll be leaving in about half an hour. If you're not there, we'll leave without you,” Madoc informed him.

Our horses greeted us with whinnies and horsey smiles. They willingly allowed us to put our blankets and saddles on their backs and seemed pleased when we gave them each an apple we'd brought from the breakfast spread.

I showed Morna how to arrange her packs and saw that Blane was doing the same for Donal.

We hoped to reach Dunswell by luncheon time and eat there before going on, but we didn't know what we'd find once we were on the road.

Before Kerr joined us, my parents came by to wish us a safe journey. Mother handed me a pack of letters. “For my sister and mother in Dunswell,” she said. I knew she'd want us to visit our relations there, but I'd hoped to avoid it, at least on the journey north. Maybe on our way back...

Oh, I liked my aunt and grandmother, but I hoped that if we stopped now, they wouldn't try to make us stay any longer than we had to.

We were just about ready to leave when Kerr finally showed up with his father's man, Quentin, who was carrying all of Kerr's packs. He had almost twice as much as any of us. Quentin loaded down Kerr's horse with everything he was carrying while we all watched with mouths open.

“You know you'll have to remove everything from your horse at night, and then load up again in the morning,” Madoc told Kerr. “By yourself.” At least Kerr's horse, a black stallion, was even larger than my Gallin, Blane's Starfire and Madoc's Willow.

It didn't seem to faze the Duke's son. But I wondered once more how he'd fare over the next several days.

We said our last 'farewell's to our parents. The Duke and Duchess appeared at the last minute to send their son and the rest of us on our way. We mounted our horses and rode out through the postern into the town. Holmdale was just waking up. The shops were beginning to open and everyone we passed waved to us.

Soon we were out on the road north toward Dunswell. I'd been this way before to visit our relatives and so had Blane, Donal and Morna. But Carys had never been on this road, so I told her a little about the town we were headed for.

“It's not as grand as Arris,” I said. “Or as large as East Harbor or Fairhaven.” Her own home at the Citadel in Fairhaven was much more beautiful than any of the other places I'd ever been. “But it's larger than Holmdale.”

We weren't the only ones on the road heading north. “Are all of these people going to Dunswell or beyond?” Carys asked.

“Probably Dunswell,” Morna said.

“They may be going to the market there,” I added, indicating a horse-drawn wagon loaded with hay. “Others are going to see the ruins.”

“Ruins?”

“There was once a great cathedral in Dunswell. But as people began to turn away from religion hundreds of years ago, the cathedral was abandoned. Still, it was quite an architectural marvel and many people still come to see it or what's left of it,” I explained.

“And then there's the fishing,” Donal said with a grin. I knew that was what he liked about Dunswell. “There's lots of fishing on the river there.”

“Maybe we'll take some time to explore on our way back,” Madoc said. I knew he wanted to get to Nordholm and cross the sea to Solwintor as soon as possible.

We continued to tell Carys about Dunswell as we continued on. Kerr said nothing and I wondered if he was wondering how he'd been forced to make this journey with us.

It would take a few hours to reach Dunswell, and we'd arrive in time for luncheon.

“Our grandmother lives near the south gate to the city,” Blane told Madoc.

“Then we should stop there first before going on,” he said with a slight nod.

“If we go directly to Grandmother's home she'll probably insist on making us one of her lovely luncheon spreads,” I said with a smile. Thinking about that made my mouth water. Maybe visiting her wouldn't delay us that much after all.

 

Chapter 6.

With all of the foot and horse traffic, we didn't reach the south gate of Dunswell until past midday. By then we were all hungry, and the thought of luncheon at Grandmother's seemed better than ever.

Blane led the way with Donal, and the rest of us followed closely behind. We tied up the horses at the rail that surrounded her front garden, even though we knew the horses weren't going anywhere. We gave them each an apple and told them we'd feed them more after we'd eaten. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kerr watching us communicate with our steeds, but he didn't even try, even though he'd had some of the same lessons from Madoc that my brothers and I had.

Blane knocked on Grandmother's door. I saw the lace curtain at the front window flutter a bit before she opened it with a big grin on her face. “My darlings! I had no idea you were coming today!” If she had, the house would have been permeated with the wonderful aromas of baking bread.

“We're on our way north,” Blane told her. “And we can't stay long. But we couldn't pass through Dunswell without visiting you.” He saw her studying the dark-haired woman with us. Although Grandmother had met both Madoc and Kerr on visits to us at Holm Manor, she'd never met Carys. “This is Madoc's sister, Carys,” Blane introduced her.

Grandmother essayed a slight curtsy. “Princess. Welcome to my humble home.”

I wondered how she knew that Carys was a Princess. Had she known long before me that Madoc was the son of a king and queen?

She ushered us all inside. “You must be hungry from your ride, no?” She led the way to the huge table she used when our entire family was there for visits. “Girls, come help me bring in some food,” she said.

Morna, Carys and I began to follow her to the kitchen, but she turned and added, “Oh, not you, Princess. Sit and relax with these young men. Nissa and Morna can help me.”

Carys bit her lip, but acquiesced. I knew she was interested in seeing the kitchen and in helping, but you didn't cross my gran.

Gran handed me a loaf of bread, baked that morning after all, and a bowl of vegetables, picked fresh if I wasn't mistaken. Morna carried a dish of butter and jars of jam and pickles. Gran brought in a ham from the cooler and a large carving knife, then went back for a jug of milk from the cow she kept.

She sliced the bread and the ham at the table, then left to get some cheese. We made ourselves sandwiches as she brewed a huge pot of tea. Only when everything was ready and we each had a full plate in front of us did she sit down at the table with us.

“Now, where are you youngsters off to?” Gran asked, her pale blue eyes twinkling.

I didn't know how much to tell, so I began with our immediate plans. “We're going to Nordholm,” I told her.

She turned to Madoc. “Are you taking them across the sea to Solwintor?” she asked.

“If we can find passage,” he replied with a nod.

Gran nodded too. “Interesting country. At least the parts I've seen. We never ventured far, being as how everyone warned us about the beasties and the trolls.”

“You've been to Solwintor?” Donal asked in surprised.

“What, you think your old Granny hasn't traveled? Hasn't been to far off lands?” She laughed. “Mind you, 'twere a long time ago.”

“What can you tell us about Solwintor?” Morna asked.

While we ate our sandwiches, Gran regaled us with tales of her travels north across the sea. When she finished she told us, “Be very careful. There are dangers there, and not just the beasties. Strange people, too. Some who cling to old ways, and others who guard their knowledge from outsiders.”

I wanted to tell her we could take care of ourselves, but instead I just thanked her for her warning. “Before I forget, Mother sent a letter for you, and one for Aunt Fiona.” I dug them out of the pack I'd brought in with me. “We'll stop again on our way back,” I promised her. “And maybe we'll be able to spend a longer time with you then.” But I expected a lot would happen to us before then.

“Have you fed your horses?” she asked as she rose to clear the table when we were finished. Morna and I helped her, and this time she allowed Carys to lend a hand.

“We gave them apples before we knocked on your door,” Morna said.

“Well, best to stop at the stables between here and the center of town. You'll be wanting your horses well fed if you want to reach Nordholm by nightfall.”

We each hugged her goodbye, and promised again to see her soon, then left to continue our journey. Heeding Gran's advice, we stopped at the first stable we came to, run by a man called Hamish who knew our father. We bought some hay and water for our horses, and once they'd finished it, continued on.

The ride through Dunswell was uneventful, so I won't bore you with details. We were able to point out the ruins to Carys as we rode by, and then followed the road and the river northward.

There wasn't much to the landscape north of Dunswell, just wheat fields and corn. Traffic on the road was lighter than between Holmdale and Dunswell, and we were able to ride faster.

Late in the afternoon we stopped for a while to rest the horses. It seemed to be getting hotter the further north we went, so we found a place with big trees providing quite a bit of shade.

“Will we try to find lodging in Nordholm?” Blane asked Madoc. He'd described it as a rough sailing town without the restaurants and taverns we'd seen in East Haven.

“Are there boarding houses like Letti's and Ada's places in Meecham?” Carys wanted to know.

“I think we might do better camping outside of the town,” he said. There was a serious look on his face that I'd rarely seen before.

“Is it that dangerous a place?” I asked.

“It can be, depending on what ships are in town,” he said. “We'll set up camp and then I'll take Blane and Kerr to the docks to try to arrange our passage to Solwintor.”

With that plan in mind, we remounted and rode until we could see the outlying buildings of a town. Looking around at the terrain, Madoc picked a spot that was relatively flat with some grassy areas to cushion our beds under the stars.

We let the horses, except for Madoc's, Blane's and Kerr's, go to graze on the open land, knowing they wouldn't go far. The three men continued on to the town while Donal and I built a small fire, and Carys and Morna pulled food from their packs to begin to prepare our dinner. They used the most perishable of our meat and vegetables to cook a stew. As always, Carys thought of using an ingredient that wasn't commonly used, this time sprigs of a plant Gran had given us when we left her.

The food was almost ready when Madoc, Blane and Kerr came galloping back. Madoc dismounted quickly. “We're in luck,” he said. “A man I know, Nils Palmkvist, is in port. He has a freighter that transports goods between Nordholm and Brenhavn, one of the ports on the south coast of Solwintor. He's loading his cargo now and will be leaving in the morning.”

“Palmkvist is short on crew members after his last voyage, but as long as we agree to help, he's agreed to take us with him, even the horses,” Blane said.

“Don't tell me. He needs a cook,” I groaned. Each of the two journeys I'd made across the sea, circumstances had forced me to work in the galley, first on the freighter, the Flying Dragon, when Blane and I sailed to Fairhaven, and then returning with Carys and Gareth on the royal ship, Queen Bronwyn.”

Madoc chuckled, although I wasn't sure what he found funnier: what I'd said or how I'd said it. “No, my dear. That won't be necessary this time.”

I wasn't convinced. It was one thing to cook for my traveling companions, especially with Carys and Morna, but quite another for a ship load of sailors.

“We'll have to be at the dock soon after daybreak,” Blane said.

Madoc nodded. “I suggest we eat now and get to bed early.”

“Morna and I have fed our horses,” Donal said. “I'll take care of yours while Carys and Nissa dish out the food.”

Soon we were all sitting around the fire, eating the stew as Madoc explained how the men would divide the watch through the night. He knew he could rely on Blane to take a shift in the middle of the night, and he himself could wake at whatever time he had to, so he had Donal take the first shift. We just hoped that Donal could wake Kerr to take over for him after the Evening Moon set and before the Second Moon rose.

Carys and I showed Morna how to use her blankets and packs to make a relatively comfortable sleeping arrangement. I was sure Madoc and Blane would do the same for Kerr and Donal. It was the first time they'd ever slept on the ground and it wouldn't do for them to wake feeling achy and unrested.

Madoc made sure to sleep next to me. It was comforting to hear him snoring softly at my side, to see his handsome face with his strong jaw and chiseled cheekbones, and I soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep. But my mind somehow registered when he woke during the night to take his shift on watch. His mind touched mine and told me to 'go back to sleep', but somehow I couldn't, so I wrapped myself in one of my blankets and joined him as he stared out into the night, watching for any danger to our camp.

 

Chapter 7.

“What happened to Palmkvist's previous crew?” I asked, sitting with my arms around my knees and listening to the night sounds.

Madoc hesitated only briefly. “They had a run in with pirates on their last crossing. Two of the men were badly injured, and another two are too frightened to sail again.”

“Oh!” I thought about that for a while. “Do you think there's still a danger?”

“There's always a danger when you cross the sea,” he said. “You should know that by now.”

I nodded. We'd tried to tell Donal, Morna and Kerr of the perils of this trip, but sometimes I forgot them myself. I hoped we were prepared.

“It's prudent to be frightened, but not to let it paralyze you,” he said.

“I know.”

Madoc slipped his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head against him. “It's also wise not to be too confident,” he said.

That made me smile. There was that tendency to think I could do anything, particularly after my experiences. But I was realistic enough to know there could be situations I couldn't handle, not on my own, at least.

“How long is the journey?” I asked. I had no idea where the port was that we were headed for. Solwintor had a long southern coast.

“Brenhavn is almost directly opposite Nordholm so it should only take a day to get there, winds allowing,” Madoc replied.

We sat together like that in silence, but I could feel his mind touching mine, gently calming my fears.

“I knew I'd find you together,” Blane said when he came to take Madoc's place. “So, it's been quiet?”

“Yes,” Madoc said.

“Well, go get a bit more sleep. It'll be light before long.”

Blane was right. I fell asleep again as soon as I lay down in my blankets, and before I knew it, I woke to a brand new day.

Donal had already gotten the fire going again. I was able to make some coffee, and I sliced some of a loaf of bread Gran had given us. As the others rose, I handed them each a mug of coffee and some bread and cheese. We each had a piece of fruit, too, then packed everything back up again, doused our fire, and saw to the horses.

We rode straight through Nordholm without stopping to look around. It appeared to be a small town, not much bigger than Holmdale. We reached the docks and Madoc led us to the slip where Palmkvist's freighter, the Gray Gull, was berthed.

The Gray Gull looked a lot like the Flying Dragon, three masts, a deck with a few raised portions, and a pointed front end. Palmkvist greeted us as we led the horses onboard, and asked one of the crewmen to take them down to a section of the hold used for live animals.

“Mia, take these folks below and show them to their bunks,” he called to another member of his crew, who turned out to be a woman. This was a bit of a surprise, as neither of the two ships I'd sailed on before had female crew.

Mia was a tall woman, almost as tall as her captain, and just as blond. There was a strength evident in her arms and her spine as she moved down the stairway to the crew's quarters.

“You three will be bunking with me and the other three women aboard,” she said. Her Learic was as good as mine with just a slight accent. “The men will be in here with some of the other crew,” she added, indicating the door next to the one she led Carys, Morna and me through.

There were nine narrow bunks in the room, stacked three high. “The ones with clothes on them are taken but you can take any of the others. Used to be, we had a full crew on this ship. No one wants to take to the sea any more,” she lamented.

“We'll be helping during the voyage,” I told her.

She nodded. “So I've heard.” She looked each of us up and down as if she was wondering what help we could be. “Have you ever been on a ship before?”

“I have, and so has Carys,” I said, indicating my dark-haired friend. “This is my sister's first journey.”

She grimaced. “Any of you good with arms?”

“Nissa is the best,” Morna told her. “She's good with a knife and a sword.”

Mia's eyebrows rose in surprise. “In the practice ring?”

I nodded. “And I've used both in battle. And a...” I tried to think of what they called the long pole I used to kill the ruda. “...a harpoon.”

“What about the rest of you?” she asked.

“Don't worry,” Carys said. “We'll hold our own weight in a fight.”

“Let's just hope you won't have to prove that you're telling the truth,” she said. “Why don't the three of you get settled. We won't need you on deck 'til later this afternoon. We'll let you know when Bork has luncheon ready.”

As she left, I wondered whether we'd be introduced to some new foods on this journey. Surely the residents of Solwintor had a different cuisine.

We each took one of the empty bunks. Both Carys and Morna selected a low one, but I'd never slept so high off the ground so I took an upper one.

“Do you think we'll encounter ruda like you did?” Morna asked.

“Or something worse,” Carys said, her eyes big. I wasn't sure whether she was teasing my sister or really expecting some kind of sea monster to appear during our voyage.

“Whatever shows up, we'll deal with it. They may have lost some of their crew on the last voyage, but there are still a dozen men and four women left, plus the seven of us,” I told them both.

We each changed into our wide pants, thinking they'd be more appropriate than skirts. Mia had been wearing the same kind of britches as the other sailors we saw. Then again, she was as tall as many of them, a big woman with obvious strength.

There wasn't much to see in the bunk room. I sat beside Morna on her bunk and Carys sat on hers. We chatted just to pass the time until we were called either to eat or to help on deck.

“This is really boring,” Morna suddenly said and I laughed. I was happy to see, though, that she wasn't affected by the motion of the ship. “Have we left the dock yet?” she asked, walking to the tiny porthole to look out.

“We've been underway for a while,” I told her.

“Yeah. All I can see is water,” she said.

As events would have it, she wasn't to be bored for long. We soon heard running above us on deck, followed by shouts and a clash of steel. I'd heard sounds like that before when the Flying Dragon was attacked by pirates, but I'd been told to stay below deck.

This time, no one came to tell us to stay where we were. I exchanged a look with Carys and Morna, and our minds touched briefly, before we took our weapons and headed up to join the fray.

It was a veritable melee. There was water and blood everywhere. I wasn't even sure which of the men on deck were part of the crew and which came from the pirate ship floating alongside. The best we could do was let Captain Palmkvist and Mia show us who was friend and who was foe.

Mia was fighting against two men. I might have guessed they were pirates by their garb. I joined her, engaging one of the men so that she could concentrate on the other. I let the energy flow through me to the sword in my hand while defending myself by my stance and movement. The man I was fighting didn't seem to know what to make of me. He lunged toward me and my sword came down, slicing his hand so that he dropped his sword. I forced him back toward the edge of the deck. He seemed to decide it was time to flee, stood on the railing, and jumped onto his own ship, falling hard.

Palmkvist and his crew were getting the best of the pirates with help from the seven of us. I saw that Madoc was working with Morna and that relieved me of my worry about her, and Blane and Carys worked together, too.

Another one of the pirates came at me, lunging with his sword, but I fended it off. He seemed surprised that I could match his thrusts. We parried for a little while, until finally he seemed to gain on me. Once again I let the energy flow through me to my sword and used it to knock his out of his hand. Rather than attempting to pick it up again, he backed away from me, turned, and ran for the side.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kerr, standing at the top of the stairs, hesitating about joining the fray. But when it was obvious that most of the pirates were retreating, he came up on deck and swung his sword the way my father had taught him, contributing to the fight for our side.

The pirates scrambled to leave the Gray Gull, and not all of them had made it before their ship sailed off. They dove into the water and swam to catch up to their colleagues.

Once we knew that they were gone, Captain Palmkvist took a count of his men. Two had been injured, one rather badly. He lay bleeding with a knife wound to his chest.

“Do you have a healer aboard?” I asked Mia. I wasn't going to volunteer unless I knew they needed my help and Morna's.

But she shook her head. “Bork knows somewhat about healing minor wounds.”

I nodded. Before I could say anything Morna said, “I'll get our supplies,” and she ran down the stairs to our bunkroom.

While the cook tended to the less hurt man, Morna and I cleaned the wounds of the other man. “What's your name?” I asked him, trying to keep him conscious as we worked. I took a salve from one of the pouches on my belt.

“Georg,” he replied. “Georg Hensen.” He grimaced as Morna applied the salve that would fight any infection to his deepest wound.

“My sister and I will have you up and well again by the time we reach Brenhavn,” I told him. “She's pretty, isn't she?”

He looked at her and smiled despite the pains. “For a red-head.”

Bork, the cook, appeared at my side and asked, “Is there anything I can bring him to eat that will speed the healing?”

“Some broth and an egg would be good,” I told him. They'd be easy for the man to digest. Mother always said that there were substances in those that were important when you were sick or hurt. “Thank you.”

He was back with what I'd requested very quickly and we helped Georg sit up so that he could eat.

Once the two wounded men were tended to, the cook announced that luncheon was ready for the rest of us. He had one of the men help him bring a cauldron on deck. He'd made a stew, but nothing like any I'd ever had or even cooked myself.

“What is in this?” I heard Carys ask him. She was always interested in learning to cook new dishes. And he was happy to talk about his creation, especially with a pretty woman. It seemed it contained both beef and fish, as well as some vegetables that were favorites in Solwintor, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

By the time we'd finished eating, we were well out to sea. Mia introduced us to some of the other crew, including the three other women.

“Where did you get those pantaloons?” asked Ulrika, a woman as blond and strong as Mia but a head shorter.

“We made them,” Carys replied. “They're Nissa's design.”

“Women in our country rarely wear pants of any kind, and most men's britches are too long or too big for us,” I added. “Hence I decided we could take a sturdy skirt, and make them into pants for this trip.”

“I like them,” Agneta, another one of the women said. “They look comfortable, yet quite practical.”

Mia laughed. “I think you may have started a fashion trend. I just hope they won't be too warm for the weather in Solwintor.”

Some of the men wanted to talk about how we'd helped them in the fight with the pirates. “I was amazed at how well you worked with us,” Erik said.

“Yes. Good swordsmanship,” Carl added.

“Our father is swordmaster in Holmdale,” Blane told him. “We've all been well-trained.”

“You may need that training where you're headed,” Carl said.

They all spoke Learic with a very slight accent when they talked to us, but when they spoke among themselves, they used their native language, which I learned was called Solwinish. Listening, I caught a few words that sounded similar to Learic words and I vowed to learn more during out journey in Solwintor.

 

 

Chapter 8.

After luncheon, we worked with the crew to scrub the blood off the decks and brightwork. Blane and one of the crewmen climbed the masts to inspect the sails and reported that they were all in good order. Kerr was asked to help restack the barrels of corn and other cargo on deck. Many had been knocked over during the battle with the pirates.

I expected Kerr to object, but he did as he was instructed, albeit grudgingly. Donal would have liked to help Blane up in the rigging, but his leg was still not strong enough, so instead he carried pewter plates and utensils to the galley for the cook, and even helped him wash up.

The rest of the journey was otherwise uneventful. The sun was beginning to set when we caught sight of land in the distance, spreading across the horizon. Soon, we pulled into the harbor at Brenhavn. Our adventures were only just beginning.

We bade our new friends farewell and retrieved our horses before disembarking. Brenhavn appeared to be a small fishing village that spread around a natural harbor.

“There are no taverns or places to spend the night,” Madoc told us. “We can ride out a ways from the town and find a site to camp for the night.”

“What about the sailors? Where do they eat and sleep when they're in port?” Blane asked. He and I had spent a night or two in rough taverns on our way to Fairhaven. It hadn't been pleasant, but it had been indoors.

“Mostly they eat and sleep on their ships,” Madoc replied.

“So which way do we go?” Carys asked, checking her saddle and packs before mounting her horse.

“There's supposed to be a large city on the other side of those mountains to the north,” Madoc said. “We'll head toward the mountains on the most oft used path, and make our way through them tomorrow.”

We all agreed to the plan. There was really only one path heading north. It was a narrow dirt path, packed by countless feet and hooves, so we rode out single file until it widened slightly just past the last of the ramshackle buildings of Brenhavn. The path wove between the sparse vegetation but continued to head north.

It was growing darker as the sun set. We could see the Evening Moon rising.

“We should stop before we reach the mountains,” Madoc said. When we came to a clearer section with just a few stunted trees just off the path, we did just that.

We'd had a big luncheon aboard the Gray Gull, and it was rather warm here, both the air and the ground, so we took out bread, cheese and some dried meats to eat, along with raw carrots and some of our Meecham cookies. We didn't even feel the need for a fire, although it was possible it would become colder after the sun was completely gone on the western horizon.

It had been a busy day, and I think we were all tired. Since we also wanted to get an early start in the morning, we retired for the night with Donal taking the first watch.

“Wake me when you start to feel drowsy,” Blane told him, and Donal nodded.

The ground was so warm that I didn't even feel the need to wrap myself in both of my blankets. Instead, I folded and made a cushion of one and covered myself lightly with the other. I'd probably find a way to change my clothes in the morning, but we'd changed into what Ulrika had called 'pantaloons' at midday.

I must have been even more tired than I thought, because I didn't wake until the first light of dawn. Kerr sat against one of the small trees, keeping watch, but everyone else was still asleep. Someone had finally started a fire during the night. I stirred the embers and added some kindling so that I could heat water for tea, then asked Kerr, “Have there been any people coming by?”

He shook his head. “It's been pretty quiet. I didn't know that insects could make so much noise, though. Or birds.”

“I guess we don't notice them during the day when other sounds drown them out,” I replied. “But, yes, at night, when everything else is quiet, you can hear them. Small animals, too.”

“Is that what the chittering noise was?”

“Probably.”

The others were beginning to stir. Madoc and Blane woke quickly, but Morna was slower to rouse herself. I thought back to how she insisted on waking me the morning of the wedding, and chuckled. And Carys woke up the same way she did everything else, with a serenity and grace that none of us could come close to matching. Donal was the last to waken. As we began to prepare our breakfast we realized something was wrong.

Morna noticed first. “Did someone take the little bag of berries from my saddle pack?” she asked.

No one admitted to it, and we soon found that there were a few other things missing, including a piece of rope that Donal had tied to his saddle and some of the carrots from Carys' packs.

“Hmmm,” Madoc said. “I think some animal or troll has been at our things during the night.”

But we weren't missing anything vital, and soon we were eating our breakfast and drinking our tea. We'd just have to be more vigilant in the future.

We saw to the horses. They'd found some kind of grass near the trees and seemed refreshed by their rest. I asked Gallin if he'd seen anything during the night, but he didn't answer. We saddled the horses and gathered all of our packs, then continued north to the mountains.

In the light of day, they looked higher than I first thought. The sandy path we were following wound through rocky terrain, but as we ascended, we came across small stones in the path, and we saw that everything was covered with a fine gray dust.

Madoc dismounted at one point to examine it, the small rocks on the path, and the larger ones on either side. He looked thoughtful and began to frown.

“What is it?” I asked.

He looked up at the top of the mountain, although at this point we really couldn't see the top. There appeared to be a cloud behind and over it, cutting off our view, and it was growing.

“Is it going to rain?” Morna asked, following his gaze.

“I think that's smoke,” Donal said. “Maybe there's someone up there who's got a fire going.”

“That's not a storm cloud,” Madoc said. “And the smoke is definitely not from a man-made fire. I think we'd best seek shelter.” He looked around as he got back on his horse. “That should do,” he said, pointing to a ledge off to our right.

“That's not big enough to shelter us all,” I said. But as we rode carefully through the rock-strewn land, I could see an opening under the ledge.

“It looks like there's a cave,” Blane said.

The cave was large enough and tall enough that we were able to get the horses inside. Once we did, we turned to Madoc for an explanation.

“Captain Palmkvist said that there was an extinct volcano that created this mountain and the hills around it,” he said. “Only I don't think it's extinct.”

“That's what that gray dust was, ash from the volcano?” I guessed, and he nodded. I only knew what I'd read in books about volcanoes, had never seen one before.

“Do you think it will erupt anytime soon?” Carys asked. She and Blane had sat down together on the cave floor and were holding hands.

“Based on the increasing smoke, I'm afraid so,” Madoc replied. “I'm also afraid we won't be able to follow the path through the mountain to Malstadt.”

“So where will we go?” Morna asked. “And when?”

“I think we should wait a while to see whether an eruption is imminent, then make our way eastward and around the mountain.”

“Is there even a path?” Kerr asked. “We can't just wander all over the countryside without any idea where there might be civilization.” He'd been pretty subdued and undemanding so far during the trip, but I could tell he was becoming tired of the primitive conditions we'd had to live with. And if he had to put up with sleeping on the ground and cooking his own food, he wanted some action. And what he called 'civilization'.

“There used to be another fairly large town due east, Pellborg. I think if we go back along the path we took earlier, there was a branch off of it heading that way. We can follow it and see where it goes.”

Just then we heard a booming sound outside, and the ground began to rumble.

“Hold on to the horses. I don't think these would be easily frightened, but it's possible,” Madoc said.

I took Gallin's reins, and thought soothing thoughts at him, trying to explain the situation, that he'd be best off staying in the cave with us. I sensed that he understood as much as a horse could. He could sense danger, but he trusted me to keep him safe.

The noise grew louder, and we saw stones and tree limbs go by just outside the cave. The ground rumbled again and I felt Madoc's mind touch mine, trying to calm me the way I'd calmed Gallin. The stones were followed by a river of a gray substance, steaming in the air.

“I hope that doesn't come inside the cave,” Donal said. I could tell he was trying very hard to be brave.

“What is that stuff?” Morna asked.

“It's called lava. The inside of the volcano is very hot, like a cauldron with water boiling in it.”

That explained, in part, why the ground here was so warm.

“Except in this case, it's not water, but rock,” Madoc explained. “And the heat turns it into a liquid that bubbles up and out the top of the mountain. Any water mixed with it boils off, creating a cloud. The lava cools a bit as it pours down the sides, and eventually all that's left is a very fine ash.”

“That gray powder that covered the ground and rocks,” I said, nodding.

We watched with a mixture of fascination and horror as the gray stream kept flowing, the noise grew even louder, and the ground continued to shake. The horses whinnied but stayed at our sides. After what seemed like a very long time, the noise and shaking finally subsided and then stopped.

“Is it over?” Morna asked, hopefully.

“We can't be sure just yet,” Madoc told her. “Let's give it a while longer and if it doesn't start up again, I think it will be safe to venture out. The ground outside is still too hot and unstable to walk on just yet, anyway.” He ventured closer to the entrance to the cave and frowned. “We'll also have to clear an area just outside so we can get out.”

“You mean we're stuck in here?” Donal asked.

“No, it isn't that bad, but there's a thick layer just outside that won't be safe for the horses to walk through.”

“Why don't we have an early luncheon before we try to clear that. That way, when we get out of here, we won't have to stop very soon,” I suggested, knowing that if I was busy preparing a meal, I'd feel even calmer.

“Good idea,” Carys agreed, starting to open the pack in which she was carrying some of our food.

Blane helped us decide what we should have, bread, cheese and fruit, of course, but also some of the vegetables Gran gave us from her garden and some of the nuts we had collected in the orchards back at the Manor.

It seemed so long ago that we'd left, but it was only a couple of days. Eating the nuts and apples from the trees at the Manor made us all feel a little homesick and yet closer to home than we actually were.

By the time we finished our meal, we were all feeling better. Madoc used the tip of his sword to test the heat of the ground just outside the cave and deemed it acceptable. We hadn't heard any rumbling or felt the earth move for some time.

We used our swords and some flat rocks to clear the cooled lava that partially blocked the cave entrance, then repacked our things. The horses didn't object when we remounted and rode them out of the cave. The terrain had been changed by the lava flow. The horses walked gingerly through it, but Madoc's unerring sense of direction eventually brought us back to the path we'd been on. It was now strewn with even more rocks and debris, as well as more of the gray ash.

We descended for a little while almost missing the turnoff to the eastward path that Madoc had remembered. It was narrower and even more uneven than the path we'd been on before. We continued east for some time, eventually coming to a pass that separated the volcanic mountain from a series of lower hills. The pass ran mainly north.

After meandering for a while, it rose slightly, and then descended again into a little valley. A narrow stream rising somewhere in the hills flowed northward and we followed it, hoping it would widen and lead us to a town of some sort.

We stopped at one point for the horses to drink from the stream, then continued on. Even though the sun was beginning to sink in the west, it was still quite warm, and we saw more vegetation than we had nearer the volcano. The grass was sparse, and there was little edible for us, but there were pretty wildflowers in unusual shades of pink and lavender and blue.

In the distance, we began to see animals, cows or sheep, maybe, and small buildings. That gave us the impetus to speed up. Finally we were coming to a village.

 

Chapter 9.

As we got closer, we saw that the animals weren't cows or sheep or even horses. “Elk,” Madoc identified them. “it's surprising to find them in such a warm climate.”

The village ahead seemed to be little more than a cluster of huts and two very small houses. A bearded man stood in our path, arms crossed, watching our approach. It was difficult to gauge his age. The white blond hair and very blue eyes weren't that different from those of the Gray Goose's crew. But he wore a kind of gown in black and had a wide-brimmed hat on his head.

“Halt!” he shouted, or at least it sounded like 'halt'. He held up his right hand, then in rapid Solwinish he addressed us.

Madoc interpreted. “He wants to know what our business is along this road,” he said before stating something to the man in his language.

The man looked sternly at us all and shook his head. He and Madoc had a short conversation and then Madoc turned to tell us, “It seems we're not welcome in this village, since we're not members of their brethren. In fact, he calls us 'Infidels'. The Elder has directed us to pass through the village. He'll allow us to stop on the other side for the night, but then wants us to leave at sunrise. I've tried to be reverential and show respect for their religion but it doesn't seem to have done any good.”

We did as we'd been ordered. There wasn't another soul out in the dusty street as we rode through. By the time we stopped, the sun was setting and the Evening Moon had risen.

“Do you think it will be all right for our horses to graze here?” I asked.

“Just keep them nearby,” Madoc advised. “And no fires. The Elder told me that fires are forbidden for they are the work of the devil.”

“You're kidding!” Kerr said derisively.

As we began to set up our camp, we saw two women approaching from the village. The taller one said something, and again Madoc translated. “There is a place in the stream near here where we can bathe. Men and women separately, of course. They will lead the women first.”

That was more hospitable than we'd expected after the cold welcome by The Elder, but perhaps they thought that bathing would make us holier or something. Carys, Morna and I were grateful for the opportunity, in any event. I chose a clean dark skirt and plain blouse as similar as possible to the clothes the two women were wearing, and Carys and Morna did the same. We took our toweling, cakes of soap and cloths and followed them to the stream.

Apparently, it was acceptable for them to watch us strip off our clothing and go into the water. I was afraid the water would be cold, but the stream must have been warmed by the underground heat that permeated this region. I even took down my hair and washed it too. When we were done, we dried ourselves and dressed in clean clothes.

“Tek,” I told the two women as I tied my belt around my waist. That was one of the words I'd learned from Mia and they seemed pleased by my gratitude. They escorted us back to our camp, then led the men off. I wondered if they would watch the men as they had watched us, but Madoc told me later that they'd turned their backs as soon as the men began to undress.

I tried to ask them if there was a way for us to bring water for our horses, pantomiming the action, and sending a 'picture' of horses drinking from a trough. But they didn't get it. Madoc had to ask in Solwinish.

The taller one held up a hand, then the two of them ran back toward the village, returning after a brief time with two men with beards like the elder but no hats. They carried seven buckets among them, and went to the stream to fill them with water, then brought them back to the horses.

With that, they left us. We made another cold meal of the last of our smoked meat, carrots and berries, a cookie each and some water. It would have to be enough. We decided that the men didn't have to guard our camp, that the trolls or wild animals wouldn't dare to steal anything so close to the village, so we all went to sleep, hoping that the next day would bring us to a town or village where we could purchase more supplies, and where the people would be friendlier.

We were woken before dawn by a shout. The Elder stood in the middle of our camp with three other men. He said something that could easily be understood to mean it was time we were on our way. Except for the two women and the two men the night before, we hadn't seen another one of their people. I think we were all happy to comply with their wishes, to leave this place where we weren't wanted.

We quickly broke camp and saddled our horses. As we continued north, Madoc explained to us that The Elder had told him that it was our fault that God was angry and had caused the volcano to erupt, that it caused all kinds of damage to their crops. “But he also said we would come to the town of Grenska if we continued in this direction for four hundred dulnos. That the people of that town could deal with us. He seems to think they are evil, too.”

“How far is four hundred dulnos?” Donal asked.

“A little over five thousand gyrds,” he said.

That meant we would reach the town just past midday. Once we'd gone a distance from the village, we stopped for a hasty breakfast of bread, jam from Cook's larder, and a piece of fruit. I knew we all wanted coffee or a cup of tea, but that would have to wait. We made do with a few sips of water from our flasks.

We rode on. As the sun rose in the sky, the air became quite balmy, and then very hot. The ground wasn't as warm as it had been closer to the volcano, but we were still feeling the heat in our long and heavy clothes. I opened the top of my blouse and rolled up the sleeves for a little relief. By the time we caught sight of the town, the sun was blistering our skin.

Grenska was a proper town with shops, restaurants, taverns, even a hotel. It bustled with the activity of people going about their daily lives, people in an assortment of dress but all with the blond hair and blue eyes so common among people of this country.

“We can stop here for luncheon,” Madoc said, spying a trough for the horses with posts to tie their reins.

We dismounted and bade our animals enjoy their drink. I knew they'd alert us if anyone tried to take any of them or anything from our packs.

A wooden walkway lined the other side of the trough from the road, and a sign on one of the shops nearby read Magda's Matstalle. “It's a restaurant,” Madoc told us. We followed him into the noisy room. It was much cooler inside than out on the street. Many tables were filled with people eating and chatting.

A woman immediately approached us. She wore a long sky-blue dress with a white apron over it and a kind of white cap on her head. She seemed to count us and then led us to a table that would accommodate all seven of us. She handed us a printed list of their offerings and said something I didn't understand.

“She said she'll bring us cold drinks,” Madoc translated.

I looked at the list and was grateful to see that next to the descriptions in Solwinish were pictures. One looked like a drawing of a drumstick. “Is that chicken?” I asked Madoc.

He read the description and said, “'Kalkon' is turkey.”

“Even better!” I said.

“The meals come with hal, which is made with potato, or a kind of noodle, and some salad greens,” he told us all.

The woman returned with tall glasses filled with a pale brown liquid, so cold that moisture formed on the outside of the glasses. She took out a little book of blank pages and said something. It was obvious she wanted us to order.

I pointed to the drumstick and said, “Kalkon.”

“Hal eller dumhuvud?” she asked.

I took a chance and said, “Hal.”

Rather than try and figure out what anything else was, my sister and brothers nodded that they wanted the same, but Carys pointed to something that looked like a very smooth snake and said, “Al”.

Of course, Kerr had to follow her and ask for the same. Madoc ordered something else, and once the waitress was gone, he told us we could taste his elk steak if we wanted.

“What did Carys order?” I asked.

“Eel,” he replied. I saw the dismayed look on Kerr's face, but it was his own fault if he got something he really didn't want.

Our food was very good when it came. Even Kerr wasn't as put off by his meal as he thought he would be. And that cold drink? It was actually very cold tea, flavored with mint. A new favorite of mine. When we were almost done, the woman returned and seemed to ask us something. Madoc answered her, she smiled at us, and turned away.

“She's bringing dessert,” he said. “You're going to like this,” he predicted.

And of course we did. He said it was called gradglass. It was smooth, sweet, creamy and cold.

When the woman returned a last time, she put down a piece of paper with some numbers on it. Madoc immediately counted out some of the Solwintor coins he'd gotten from Captain Palmkvist in exchange for some of our jorans. He handed them to her and asked her something that included words that sounded like 'book-work'.

She replied immediately, something about a 'book-market' I thought.

“Tek!” he told her, and we all said the same, then followed him back out into the hot street. “There's a book store down that way,” he told us. He stopped to get the two books from one of the packs on Willow, and we continued toward the store.

I'd noticed before that the people of this town wore interesting clothing. A large number of the women wore trousers of some sort, some even shorter than the ones we'd made from long skirts. And the skirts that the others wore were of varying lengths too. The colors and fabrics were different from anything I'd ever seen before. The sleeves of their brightly colored blouses and shirts were mostly short, perhaps because of the warm weather. Even the men's shirts had short sleeves.

I'd purposely brought heavy clothing, remembering how cold it had been on the Frozen Tundra, but I suddenly wished I'd brought some thinner blouses and skirts. Carys and Morna seemed to be thinking the same thing from the way they were looking at the women in the street.

The sign outside the book store actually said 'bok marknad', close enough to what I thought I'd heard! I was more determined than ever to learn this language, and wondered if the shop had an instruction book or at least a Learic-Solwinish dictionary.

Madoc opened the door, setting a bell above it jangling, and we all followed him inside. It was darker and cooler in the shop than it had been outside. Shelves and shelves of books lined the walls, and others ran straight through the shop, holding more books than I'd ever seen before in one place in my life. It made Madoc's library look meager.

A man came forward immediately. Shorter than I am, he had thinning blond hair, prominent ears, and a pair of spectacles over his pale blue eyes. He addressed us in Solwinish, then followed in Learic, “Can I help you?” Maybe the fact that only two of us were blond haired and blue eyed told him that we weren't from around here.

“I hope so,” Madoc said. “I have in my possession some curious books and I wondered if you'd ever seen any in this language, or even know what it is.” He drew out the two volumes from the cloth he'd wrapped them in, and opened one on a very high desk with a curious kind of lantern on it. Madoc opened it to a page with both writing and diagrams of one of the contraptions that puzzled him as much as the language.

The man's eyes opened wide and he removed his spectacles, studying it closely. “Where did you say you found this?” he asked.

“I didn't,” Madoc replied. “A traveler traded it to me about a year ago. He'd come from the north to our village in Arrandis.”

“You've come far to ask about this,” the man said, studying Madoc as intently as he had the book.

Madoc nodded. “The other book contains star charts, but they are very unlike the way the stars look where we come from, or even the stars here.”

I hadn't even thought to look at the sky the night before, but of course Madoc had. The man opened the second book and examined it.

“Can you help us?” Madoc asked him.

The man thought for a long time, then finally came to a decision. “My name is Magnus. Magnus Renquist. You will come with me. I will show you something, but you must promise that you will not reveal its existence to anyone anywhere.” He closed both books and handed them back to Madoc, then called out something in Solwinish to someone named Dagmar. He took a cap from atop a nearby set of book shelves and placed it on his head, then led us out a back door to a combined garden and paddock holding two horses.

We watched as he saddled one of the horses, a sorrel. He said, “I presume you came on horseback. We should collect your animals and then we'll head out of town. It's not really too far, but walking would be difficult.”

Magnus led his horse as we walked back to where we'd left ours. He seemed to be impressed with our steeds. “You care for your horses well,” he said approvingly.

We mounted and rode out to the west of the town, through terrain that became increasingly rocky, into a range of hills. Magnus led us to a pass we would never have found ourselves. It brought us to a wide plain completely surrounded by the hills. And in the center of it, a huge building with structures I couldn't begin to describe. It wasn't built of wood or any other material I knew. I did make out a couple of tall smokestacks, but I had no idea what this building was used for. But it wasn't long before we found out.

 

Chapter 10.

The building was surrounded by a high fence made of wooden posts and rails. Where the path we were on met the fence, there was a gate and two men carrying what looked like long swords.

“Stop!” they said, or something that sounded like that, before one of them spouted a long sentence in Solwinish.

Magnus responded to what he said. They seemed to know him, but looked on us with suspicion. The one who'd spoken took a small box from his belt and spoke at it. I wondered if it was similar to the system Madoc had created for his brother Gareth to use to talk to his force of guards. I looked to see whether Madoc was watching what these men were doing, but of course he was.

Magnus turned in his saddle and told us all that they had to consult with the person in charge of the 'factory' before allowing us inside.

“What's a 'factory'?” I asked.

“That, my dear, is what we're going to find out,” Madoc said in a way that indicated that he had some idea but wasn't ready yet to share it.

The little box in the guard's hand crackled and I could hear a word or two but I was too far away, and anyway, I still didn't know the language.

A few minutes later, we saw two men on horseback coming our way from the 'factory'. Magnus told us, “The taller one is Jerga Carlson, the man in charge of this place. I don't know the other man. He's not from Grenska.”

That was pretty obvious, since his hair and skin were darker than the people of Solwintor.

“Are there many people from Grenska here?” Blane asked.

“Oh, yes. Some of our young men, and even a few of the women, were brought here to work on the experiments and the inventions.”

“What sort of experiments?” Carys asked.

“You've seen the diagrams in the book you showed me. They are trying to recreate some of those devices and see what they do, what they can be used for,” Magnus explained.

“So they have other books like mine?” Madoc asked.

Magnus considered his answer. Was he trying to decide how much to tell us? “Yes,” he finally said just as the riders arrived. The gates swung open and they came through.

The taller man, a typical Solwintor male, blond with blue eyes, dismounted and walked to Magnus. He asked the book seller a question.

“These folks are from Leara. They've come across two books and they're curious about where they're from,” Magnus replied in Learic so we could understand.

“You're from Leara?” the man asked us in our language.

Leara was the entire continent. “Holmdale, in the kingdom of Arrandis, to be exact,” Madoc replied. He took the books out again and handed over the one with the diagrams. “We want to know what language this is, and where this book came from.”

The man, Jerga Carlson, paged through the book and sighed. “Where did you get this?” he asked.

“From a traveler, passing through our town. He looked like the people of this country, but then so do my friends Blane and Kerr here,” Madoc replied.

“Was there anything distinguishing about the man?” Jerga continued his questions.

“He had a large nose, and a small scar on his chin,” Madoc said. “Do you think you know him?”

“It might have been Olaf Boorman,” Magnus suggested and Jerga nodded.

“Magnus tells us that you are trying to make devices like the ones in the book,” I said.

Jerga frowned at Magnus, but admitted, “Yes.” He glanced back at the man who was with him. “I suppose we can show you some of what we've been doing. Mind you, you will have to swear to keep everything you see a secret.”

“We can do that,” Madoc said. “Especially if we're given sufficient reason.”

The gate was still open. Jerga remounted and he and the other man, who still hadn't been introduced to us, led us to the building. There was no real path, just bare ground, between the gate and the building, but it was smooth and flat, with nothing growing on it. When we reached the door to the factory, Jerga took a strangely shaped key and inserted it in a slot. The door swung open and we all rode into a front courtyard where several horses stood about, grazing on the sparse grass that grew there.

“You can leave your animals here,” Jerga said as he dismounted again and then used the key again to open an inner door.

I could feel the other man's eyes on us as we instructed our horses to wait for us here. Perhaps he didn't know Learic and that was why he hadn't spoken.

The chamber we entered was huge, not just long and wide, but I couldn't begin to tell you how high the ceiling was.

“Once we have made and tested the components of each machine, we assemble it here,” Jerga said.

How large were these machines he spoke of? Surely larger than anything I'd ever seen if they needed this much space.

There were several doors in the wall of the chamber farthest from the outer door. After glancing at the other man, Jerga used a key to open one all the way on the right side and we entered a hallway. The walls were smooth and the torches that lit the space gave off a strange light. “I'll show you a few of the things we're working on right now.”

Along the wall were openings filled with a substance, hard as a wall, but transparent. Through them we could see into each workroom where a few people, men and women in white coveralls, sat on stools at large tables working with small and large wheels, levers and spheres, pieces of paper and small containers of ink, as well as bits I couldn't identify.

“Do you know what you're building?” Madoc asked when we reached the end of the hallway.

The other man finally spoke. He was shorter than Jerga, maybe even shorter than I am, and his darker hair and skin stood out. His accent was different, too. “Like you, we have books with diagrams of devices and machines built long ago.”

“Long ago?” Blane asked.

It was Magnus who now spoke up. “Over a thousand years. We are trying to build them, but it is a slow process.” He waved a hand to indicate the entire facility. “This is one of the few remaining buildings where we thought we'd be able to achieve our goal.”

“What do you know about the history of this world?” the brown-skinned man asked.

It was such an odd question, and yet I realized it was important in trying to understand what these people were doing here.

Once more, Madoc spoke for us all. “We know that many years ago, too many to count, catastrophe struck this world bringing devastation and changing the flow of the rivers and the size and shape of the seas and continents. Those who survived withdrew to the remaining land masses, forming enclaves where they tried to continue their way of life. Many who believed before thought that their God had forsaken them and turned from religion to even older ways, worshiping the sun and the moons, the earth and the trees. Eventually, order was established and with it, commerce and communication between peoples. New governments were formed, some kingdoms and some run by the people.”

Magnus and Jerga nodded in agreement, and the other man said, “But what most have forgotten was the civilizations that existed before the...what did you call it? Catastrophe. Yes, it was that. Very few vestiges of those civilizations remained. Knowledge was lost. And few talked about what brought about the catastrophe.”

“These machines existed before?” Madoc asked.

“These and many more. Things you'd never dream of.”

“But what happened to them all?” Carys asked.

“And, what did cause the catastrophe?” Donal asked.

“From what we have been able to read of the books and other documents, it was related to the creation of the Second Moon,” the man said. He was watching our reactions to what he was telling us. “I'm glad to see you are not skeptical of what I say.”

“I have the impression that they are neither faint-hearted nor close-minded,” Magnus said with a chuckle.

“No. Very open-minded indeed,” the man said. “My name is Col Ramin. I'm a scientist from Standia.” He held out a hand to shake ours. That's when I realized that Kerr was no longer with us. He hadn't moved from the first of the workshops. I didn't think he'd heard any of our conversation with the three men. He was too far away down the corridor.

“Kerr, I'm sure they'll let you see more later,” Blane called to him. “Come join us.”

Kerr looked at Blane with a frown but started walking our way. “Your young friend seems particularly fascinated by what they're doing,” Jerga said.

That was odd in a way. Kerr never showed any interest in much of anything. “Would you like to work with our people?” Col asked him when he reached us.

Kerr's face lit up, his frown disappearing abruptly. “Could I?”

“I'll take him,” Jerga volunteered and led Kerr away.

“Your books, are they written in the same language as these?” Madoc asked Col.

“I've never seen that language before. Many of the one's we have are in Meric. We also have books in other ancient languages.”

“And the star charts. Why are they so different?” I asked. I had so many questions but as long as we were talking about the books, I decided to ask that one.

Col looked at the book carefully. “Some of these are how the stars look from the other side of the world, and some from places...out in...space.”

“Space?” Carys asked, wrinkling her nose.

Col smiled and pointed upward. “Out there, among the moons and stars and other planets.”

I knew he was speaking in Learic, but he was using terms I'd never heard before. 'Space' and 'planets', what was he talking about?

“There were people who were able to save a few artifacts and books from before.” The way he said 'before' I was beginning to think of it as 'Before'. “They hid what they had in four or five places in the world, but it was only in the past ten or fifteen years that we began to analyze what we had, and decide to try to reconstruct some of the technology that existed Before.”

“What did you mean when you said the catastrophe was caused by the creation of the Second Moon?” Morna asked. That was another question I had.

“Yes, well, that's a long story, but one you should hear,” he said. “Why don't we repair to the commissary and we can have a cup of tea or coffee while I tell it to you.”

He opened a double-door and we entered a room with several long tables like the ones in the dining room at the Manor, only these were made of some kind of metal instead of wood. Two were occupied by people in the one-piece clothing we'd seen on the men and women in the workrooms, chatting in Solwinish and drinking from large mugs.

At one end of this room was an opening with a counter and I could see a few men and women on the other side cooking on a very large stove. Magnus went to the counter and asked for mugs of coffee and tea and pitchers of cream.

As we all took seats around one of the tables, Madoc asked, “Why are you telling us all of this? Why do you think you can trust us?”

Col studied us before saying, “I sensed right away that you can be a big help to us. You have uncommon intelligence and abilities.”

It was true, I guess, but how could he know?

“But there's also a lot you don't know. Starting with why this world has two moons.” He looked at Madoc. “Let me try to give you a reason to help us.”

 

Chapter 11.

Magnus returned with our drinks, but none of us touched them. We were waiting impatiently for Col to continue.

“A very long time ago, this world had one moon, the Evening Moon. It didn't always appear at the same time every evening, and sometimes we could only see a part of it because of the way the world travels around the sun and the moon around this world.” He paused to make sure we comprehended what he said. I had a feeling that he wished he had a way to draw what he was telling us. “Our technology was very advanced. I know it will be hard for you to imagine, but we were able to travel over great distances, from one continent to another and across them, even to the Evening Moon.” He pointed upward.

It sounded like a fantasy to us, and yet we believed him.

“A group of people, called scientists and engineers, began to wonder if there was a way to control the Moon's orbit,” he said. Seeing our mix of incredulity and confusion he added. “The orbit is the path the Moon takes around the world.”

“And you said the world also has an orbit around the sun?” Blane asked, trying out the new word.

“Exactly. As they were working out the way to do that, suggestions came to find a way that we could see the moon every evening, beginning the moment the sun set. It would provide much more light at night and we could rely on it. There were objections, of course.”

“Why would people object?” Carys asked.

“For one thing, the moon would then be gone before the night was over, especially in the parts of the world where the night is very long at certain times during the year. To counter that objection, it was suggested that a second moon be put in orbit around the world.”

“And we still call it the Second Moon,” Morna said. “But how did they do that?”

“Well, there were already what were termed artificial satellites or moons circling the world, but not as far away as our Moon.”

“You mean people put them up there? What were they for?” I asked. “And what happened to them?”

Col smiled. “You all ask very good questions. First of all, they were used for communication. That will be hard to explain without going into how people communicated back then...”

“Like the devices the guards used to call you and Jerga, or that Madoc installed for his brother at the Citadel,” Blane said.

“The devices the guards have are primitive versions of the kind that used the artificial moons,” Col said. He paused, then studied Madoc, “You must tell me about the system you developed.”

Madoc nodded. “Another time. But it was based on the diagrams in this book.” he held it up.

Col nodded too, just once, then went on with his story. “The governments of the world approved the plan. Work began and some of the other objections were ignored.”

“What other objections?” Donal asked, sensing that they shouldn't have been.

“How the project might affect the other satellites, but more important, how it would affect the tides.”

We looked at each other, not at all certain we understood what he meant.

“You may know that the motions of the moons change the motion of the oceans onto shore, how they cover the beaches and ports and then recede. When the Second Moon was launched and the Evening Moon's orbit changed, it affected the way the water of the oceans moved ashore onto the continents.”

Madoc nodded. “I've read about how much of the land the great oceans can sometimes cover.”

“The tides, that is the water coming up on land and then retreating, were very regular Before except occasionally during storms. But this changed so much with the launching of the Second Moon that entire land masses were covered by the waters. There used to be ten times as much land for people to live on before what you call the catastrophe. And the flooding of the land destroyed many of the cities near the shore, as well as installations that controlled the artificial satellites, so they fell to the surface.”

“You mean they fell like the Crimson Orb?” Morna asked.

His eyes narrowed at her. “What do you know of the Orb?”

“Nothing!” she said, and it was mostly true. I knew more but I'd sworn not to tell. She amended, “Only that it fell when both moons were in the sky at the same time. There are lots of people searching for it in Meecham.” She turned to me, then Carys, and finally Madoc and Blane. “Right?”

“This I want to hear,” Col said. He fixed his eyes on Madoc.

“You may have heard the stories in the last year or so that the Orb was seen in the south. I was abducted by a group of men who believed the legends around it, and thought I could help them find it,” Madoc said. “Blane, Nissa, Carys and my brother Gareth and two of his men came to rescue me.”

“And why did they think you could lead them to the Orb?”

Madoc shrugged. “I'm a wizard. Most people think wizards do magic. But I'm sure you know that we just use knowledge that most people don't have.”

“Like the scientists from Before. And you've taught these young people to do the same,” Col said. “I thought so. That's why we need you.”

“You want to use us like Evans and his men wanted to use Madoc,” I dared to say.

“I suppose you can interpret it that way,” he mused. “But really, this is not for my own personal gain. But getting back to the Orb. Did you find it?”

“The Orb is not in Meecham,” Madoc said. “I would have sensed its power if it was.”

“So you know it's real, that it exists, and that it is very powerful.”

“What is it?” Donal asked.

I was curious what Col knew about it myself. I knew some of what it could do, and what it was being used for by the swamp people who had it.

“It was a component of one of the satellites. It was actually a crystal. One thing we're sure of is that crystals were used to focus energies to power the machines that people built Before. Oh, crystals like the Orb had other uses and even medicinal properties but in this case, they were used as part of the stabilization system for the satellite.”

I forced myself to refrain from touching the crystal in the brooch Madoc had given me, wondering if it could focus energy too. Looking at Carys, I also wondered if she had the one Blane had given her. “And the Orb fell to earth when the Second Moon was put into orbit, when both moons were in the sky at the same time,” I said as legend and reality came together in my head.

“They were simultaneously visible for a short time, but not here,” Col said. I knew he had more questions about what we knew about the Orb. Instead he said, “I know this is all too much to absorb at once, but there was really no way to tell you just a small portion of it.”

“Again, why are you telling us at all?”

“Because I want the six of you to come with me to the Stronghold, the place where some of the other books are and where a team of people are trying to decipher what's in them,” Col said. “And we need to go as soon as possible. Madoc, you said you needed a reason to help us. I hope what I've told you is sufficient.”

“It's certainly intriguing,” Madoc replied.

“It's also important that we rebuild what we can quickly, because we know there are others, in other parts of the world, who are working on the same things, and some of them are weapons,” Col said. “The only way we can prevent those people from using them on us is to develop our own machines.”

“Col is finished here with what he came to do, and will be leaving this afternoon,” Jerga said. I suddenly realized that at some point he'd rejoined us.

“I want you to come with me,” Col said, staring at us intensely.

“What about Kerr?” Morna asked.

I'd almost forgotten the Duke's son. Was he still studying the workers? “Did you leave Kerr in the workroom?” I asked Jerga.

He smiled. “He's fascinated by what they're doing, happy as a lark. And in the short time he's been there, he solved a problem they'd been working on for the past few hours.”

“I think you can leave him here,” Col said. “He'll be safe. And he'll be of more use here.”

I looked at Madoc to see whether he was in agreement. He'd taken responsibility for all of us, including Kerr. “You will eventually bring us back here, won't you?” he asked.

Col looked him in the eyes and said, “You and your young friend will be reunited, I promise.”

“Are you all willing to do this?” Madoc asked us, and we nodded. “OK, when do we leave?”

“We'll leave within the hour. I expect you all want to freshen up. We can supplement the supplies you're carrying, if you like. The journey to the Stronghold will take three days and it won't be easy,” he told us.

“We'll need to get our packs,” Madoc told him.

“Is there some place we can wash up and change our clothes?” I asked, and the others nodded.

“Certainly,” Jerga agreed, examining what we were wearing. “We'll provide you with a couple of rooms,” he told us. “Come, I'll take you back to your horses, and then to our dormitories.”

We went back to the front courtyard where our horses and packs were. We noticed for the first time that there were other animals there besides a large number of horses. I thought the smaller ones might be dogs. We don't have any at Holm Manor, just cats. In fact, I'd only seen dogs before in Arris, in Meecham, and at Lord Graham's Keep.

We retrieved our clothes and followed Jerga to what he called dormitories. The rooms turned out to be large chambers filled with six or eight narrow and low beds, rooms where the workers at the factory slept. Connected to those rooms were bathing rooms, so we were all able to wash and change. Afterwards, we gathered in the dormitory the men had used to discuss what was happening.

“Madoc, do you really trust Col?” I asked.

“He trusts us enough to tell us about parts of our history that few people know,” he said. “I think we can trust that he will try to keep us safe because he wants our help.”

“I hope the others at the Stronghold are as trustworthy,” Blane said.

Madoc nodded in agreement. “We'll just have to be cautious.”

“And do you think we can leave Kerr here?” Morna asked.

“It might be for the best, for him and for the rest of us.” He paused for a minute and I wondered why until he said, “They know we have abilities they need, but I don't think they know the extent of what we can do. Let's keep it that way for now.”

While we'd been getting ready, Col had gathered his own belongings and changed his clothes for the trip. He came for us after an hour. “We'll make sure all of the horses are fed and watered, then we'll be on our way.”

We saw Kerr as we were leaving. His eyes sparkled and he was smiling. “You can't imagine what they're doing!” he told us. “They think they can build a small machine that can capture a person's image on paper! And they want me to help.”

“What use would that be?” Donal asked him.

“Use? It's just so unbelievable that anyone can do something like that, and that I'll be a part of it!”

“So you don't mind if we leave you here?” Madoc asked.

“Nothing you find could possibly be better than this.” Kerr turned away and went back into the room where he'd been working. We continued out to the courtyard.

In addition to the black stallion we'd seen Col on earlier when he and Jerga met us at the gate, one of the dogs was waiting for us. He was small and spotted with soft brown eyes and pointy ears.

“Raj comes with me everywhere,” Col told us. “He's the perfect companion.”

Kerr came to see us off. He seemed just as happy that he wouldn't be going on with us. Col led the way to the gate. Magnus came with us, but headed back to Grenska, telling us, “Dagmar is fine in the shop for a while, but if I'm gone too long, she starts to panic.”

We watched him go and then followed Col down a narrow path through the hills as we set off riding into the setting sun.

Just a few hours after we'd arrived at the factory, we were on our way again. We didn't know what to expect during our journey to the Stronghold or what we'd actually find when we got there. But at least we knew we'd find out more about Madoc's books. And we'd be doing it together.

 

The End of Part I, but just the beginning...

**Author's Note:**

> Parts II and III were written for July Camp Nanowrimo and will be posted on my LJ. I am writing Parts IV and V for August Camp Nanowrimo.


End file.
